Pursuit

Backpacking

Multi-day travel under a pack — weight, sleep systems, and resupply.

About backpacking

Backpacking is hiking plus the logistics of sleeping out. The craft is in the trade-offs: pack weight against comfort, food weight against calories, and mileage against the weather window you actually have.

Season: Late spring through fall in most ranges; winter is a different sport.

Learn these first

Build a base weight you can carry all day without wrecking your feet
Pitch your shelter in wind and rain on the first try
Plan water carries between reliable sources
Food math: 3,000–4,500 kcal/day at roughly 125 kcal per ounce

Kit that matters

Pack sized to your load, not the other way around
Shelter, pad with an R-value matched to ground temps, and a bag rated below your low
Stove and pot, water filter, and a bear-appropriate food storage plan
Repair kit: tape, cord, needle and thread, spare buckle

The backpacking guide

Backpacking adds a night — and with it shelter, sleep system, water treatment and food. Pack weight becomes the main lever: every pound you cut lets you walk further and enjoy it more.

Do a single overnight a few miles in before committing to a multi-day loop. You'll learn more about your gear in one cold night than from any review.

How to progress

Step 1
Getting started
One night, under 5 miles in, established sites, test every piece of gear.
Step 2
Building range
2–4 night loops, dial base weight, plan resupply and water sources.
Step 3
Going further
Remote or permit-limited routes, shoulder seasons, long-distance sections.

Core skills, explained

Pack weight

A common guideline is to keep your loaded pack near 20% of body weight. Cut the big three first: shelter, sleep system and pack.

Water treatment

Filter, use chemical treatment or boil. Boiling for 1 minute kills germs — 3 minutes above 6,500 ft.

Campsite choice

Camp on durable surfaces at least 200 ft from lakes and streams, out of drainages and away from dead trees overhead.

Food planning

Plan roughly 2,500–4,500 calories a day depending on effort and cold, favouring calorie-dense food.

Safety rules from the experts

Dig cat holes 6–8 inches deep and at least 200 ft from water, camp and trails.
Store food to local wildlife rules — a bear canister where required, or a proper hang.
Leave your route, campsites and return time with someone at home and say when to call for help.

Common mistakes

Packing for fears — extras 'just in case' that add pounds
Testing a new tent or stove for the first time on the trail
Not knowing the distance to the next reliable water
A sleeping bag rated for the forecast high instead of the low

Through the seasons

Late summer and early fall usually offer the most settled conditions; shoulder seasons bring snow, cold nights and swollen crossings.

Before every trip

Confirm backcountry permit and camping rules before you go
Map reliable water sources and the distance between them
Plan food by calories per day, not by meals
Know the bail-out points on your route

Sources: Leave No Trace — 7 Principles · CDC — Backcountry water treatment · National Park Service — The Ten Essentials

Honest hazard notes

Starting too heavy — the most common reason first trips go badly
Underrated sleeping pads; cold ground beats cold air every time
River crossings at afternoon snowmelt highs

Gear picks for backpacking

Our Top 10 lists for the kit this pursuit leans on, each with real product photos.

See every Top 10 →

Top destinations for backpacking

Browse all destinations →

Backpacking seasons & weather handling

Late May through mid-October, with the sweet spot in September when bugs drop and trails empty.

Summer

Prime

Days: 70–90°F
Nights: 48–62°F

Peak daylight and stable overnight temps; heat and afternoon storms set the schedule.

Afternoon thunderstorms on ridges and passes
Heat and dehydration on exposed miles
Fire closures and smoke drift

Fall

Prime

Days: 50–70°F
Nights: 28–45°F

The best conditions of the year: cool days, few bugs, cold nights that reward a real sleep system.

Short daylight catching people out
First storms arriving with snow at elevation
Overlapping hunting seasons — wear blaze

Spring

Good

Days: 45–65°F
Nights: 28–42°F

Long light returns but the ground is wet, snow lingers up high, and creeks run big.

Snowmelt creek crossings peak in late afternoon
Postholing and mud damage on soft trail
Fast-moving cold rain squalls

Winter

Marginal

Days: 20–40°F
Nights: 0–25°F

Quiet and beautiful, but it becomes a cold-weather trip with cold-weather consequences.

Wind chill and frostbite on exposed skin
Icy trail and unplowed access roads
Long rescue times and dead phone batteries

Weather playbook

Check the forecast for the trailhead elevation, not the nearest town — expect roughly 3–5°F cooler per 1,000 ft of gain.
Turn around on lightning, not on schedule: in summer be off exposed ground by early afternoon.
Rain plus wind plus 45°F is the classic hypothermia window — treat it like cold, not like drizzle.

Numbers that decide the day

Layer up when: Wind above 15 mph or sustained rain under 50°F
Rethink the day when: Storms forecast before noon or highs above 95°F
Daylight math: Plan to finish one hour before sunset, every time

See live conditions and seasonal averages the same way destination pages show them.

Browse the destinations map

Planning ranges are typical temperate-latitude values — always verify the forecast, flow, avalanche, and fire advisories for your specific area and elevation before you commit.

Start your backpacking build

Every link below opens a planner already set to backpacking — the right trip type, temperature band, checklist and builder, so your kit starts from the skills and hazards this pursuit actually demands.